A Philosophy

Not being able to communicate in the language of an entire country provides extended opportunities to talk to one's self. Considering I spend most of my time in my own head anyway, this hasn't been too difficult of a transition. In fact, I've realized it's actually a blessing to be able to tune out the crowds around you. For example, I'm glad I can't understand what the gang of unruly teenage boys at the train station are saying to each other (or to the girls passing by).

But while I've been in my head bubble, I've been thinking a lot about language in general. It is astounding to realize that I may never understand 80% of the people of the world. While I am absolutely against forcing one global language, I understand some of the benefits. Imagine what it would be like to understand those in our neighboring countries, or the countries with whom we are at war, or our new friend who just moved here from France, China, or Mexico. Imagine what we could learn, avoid, and understand.

I have come to the conclusion that we just have to try harder. We should break out of our own shells and make the effort to understand others. We make such huge generalizations about people based on one random fact, like their country of origin. I certainly had stereotypical ideas of French people, most good, some bad, and I know I have similar opinions of other countries as well. But once you're living among them, living like them, it's so much easier to understand why they do the things they do. Sometimes you even find it makes more sense. Minor example, they eat kiwis differently here, and it works better than what I used to do.

So all that to say, I've been thinking a lot about my preconceived notions of people groups. This even applies to pockets of people within a culture. Everyone is a person. We all have bodies and bodily functions, we all eat food, we think, we feel. We each live the way we see fit. It's a unifying and comforting feeling, particularly when you're in the middle of an unknown culture.

If I've learned anything so far it's that, just because I believe something is right, and everyone I grew up with thought it was right, there may be 95% of the world who has never even heard of what we think. This doesn't always mean we're wrong or that there is only one answer, but it's worth considering before we defend something without really thinking it through.

These are just my random thoughts. Writing them helps me understand what I'm thinking. I'm not meaning to be preachy or boring, I just thought it was food for thought, and thinking is what I've been doing a lot of lately.